Secrets of The Family
by Hamano Chiaki
Summary: AU; What if Reiko never actually died?
1. Prologue

_What if Reiko never died?_

It was a regular day for Natsume Takashi as he walked to school, Nyanko-sensei secretly snoozing in his bag. It's a wonder that Natsume hasn't noticed the extra weight in his bag.

He met up with Tanuma and Taki along the way, cheery greetings from Taki and a quieter one from Tanuma. Nyanko-sensei decided to make his "grand" appearance from his snooze, yawning.

"Kyaaaa~! Kawaii!"

Taki glomps the yowling pudgy cat, nearly pulling Natsume to the ground from the weight of her and the cat.

Tanuma sweatdrops at the trio, wanting to help Natsume but is unable to as Taki is suddenly flung backwards. Ah, Nyanko-sensei has been pulled out of the safety of Natsume's bag.

"Nyaaa!"

"Aaaahh!"

"Oof!"

Taki crashes into Tanuma whilst Natsume falls backwards into the shrubs at the edge of the forest. Twigs snap and leaves are sent flying as the teen crashes into the green. Unfortunately for him, there is a small slope behind the shrub.

Tanuma and Taki groan as they pick themselves up, Tanuma rubbing his sore forehead while Taki massages the throbbing back of her head. Tanuma blushes lightly at their compromising position, Taki straddling him. Taki soon realizes their position and hastily stands up.

"Eh, where's Natsume?"

All is silent as the duo search for their missing friend, their efforts in vain.

~ ( O w O ) ~

Natsume hisses softly as he scrapes his elbows and knees, still rolling down the slope. Small critters scamper away as he continues to roll down the slope. At long last, he reaches flat ground once more and heaves a sigh of relief.

The canopy way above ground greets his vision, though he had to squint a little from the burst of sunlight from an open spot just above him. Hmm, it's so peaceful and quiet. He hasn't had any time to himself since he moved into the quiet home of the Fujiwaras. _Well, not that he minded, but he hasn't had any peace ever since he received the Book of Friends from his late grandmother._

His eyelids flutter shut, shielding his golden brown eyes from the world. His head rests on his arms, his breathing deepening as the peaceful silence lulls him to sleep. _Hmm, skipping one day wouldn't matter, would it?_ As long as he got back home on time, the Fujiwaras wouldn't worry.

~ ( O w O ) ~

There is a slight rustle as she sneaks back into the shadow of the green. She tugs the sunhat lower, shadowing her face from any lingering ayakashi. She doesn't need her identity to be blown now. _She needs more time..._

As she runs off towards the heart of the forest, a photograph of a boy slips from her pockets. Disappearing in the green, Nyanko-sensei leaps down from a branch in his pudgy form. He picks up the photograph, raising a kitty eyebrow.

"Oya, oya? How does she know Natsume?"


	2. A Familiar Stranger

**Weee~ This is longer than the start, about my regular ****short length :) I'm trying to keep a consistent 3-page length instead of the 8-12 pages I did for another fic -,- It nearly killed me, typing such a long chapter! :P Anyway, hopefully this is satisfying! Enjoy~!**

**Edit : 30/6/2012 Thanks Guest/Anonymous for pointing out that Reiko is from his mother's side :) Though I'm not so convinced, since I assumed that Reiko's surname is Natsume, and usually females take after their father's/husband's surname :x So, I'm just changing a tiny bit at the bottom :)  
**

**Edit (2) : 20/7/2012 Thank you, Guest/Anonymous (2) for pointing out my mistake with the translations :)  
**

* * *

Secrets of The Family

Chapter 1 : A Familiar Stranger

"NATSUUUMEEEE!"

"Guh..!"

A pudgy lucky cat comes flying onto a sleeping teen, successfully knocking the breath out of said teen. A smug smirk crawls onto said lucky cat's face at the pale face of his charge. However, a green corner of a precious book, that holds the balance of both worlds, peeking from a small opening of his bag sends the cat's mood downhill.

"OI! Natsume! What would you do if an ayakashi had come by and stolen the Book of Friends?"

The cat smacks his charge thoroughly with his fuzzy paws, earning grunts and protests from the roughly awakened Natsume. The cat glomps his head and promptly bites the crown of his head. _Tick. _

"NYANKO-SENSEEEEIIII!"

**BONK!**

~ ( O w O ) ~

"Muu~ Natsume, buy me some meat buns from Nanatsuji!"

"Why should I, Nyanko-sensei? It's not like you actually guard me."

"Nyaaa! MEAT BUNS! MEAT BUNS! I WANT MEAT BUNS! NANATSUJI MEAT BUNS!"

Natsume Takashi clamps both hands over his ears, trying his best to shut the horrible whining of his "guardian". The pudgy cat continues to wail for meat buns from the stall, called Nanatsuji, they frequently visit every other day. _Just not today. _After all, he'd already ditched school for a day without notifying his friends or the Fujiwaras, they must be worried sick!

…

_The Fujiwaras!_

Natsume curses before sprinting towards home. His heart warms from the thought of _home _waiting for him. He cringes, however, at the thought of disappointing the Fujiwaras and the worried glances of Touko-san and Shigeru-san.

"Natsume! Wait for me!"

~ ( O w O ) ~

"Ara, ara… What happened to you, Takashi-kun? Your uniform's all dirty! Ara, there's some paper in your hair! Quick, go and bathe!" _Paper? _

"A-ah, hai, Touko-san!"

Natsume quickly slips his shoes off of his feet and rushes up the stairs to his room. Touko watches him go with a concerned glance, hearing the muffled thumps of his footsteps on the second floor.

"Ara, he's growing up…"

Then, she returns once more to tending her laundry. As she is bringing in the last few pieces of clothing, someone calls from the front gate.

"Hello? Is anyone home?"

Touko looks up to see a girl standing by the front gate. Her face is shadowed by the sunhat and the evening light, and she is dressed in a light summer dress. Touko finds it odd that a girl would be wearing such light layers in mid-autumn, when winter is about to approach.

"Ara, how may I help you? Are you lost? Please, come in and warm yourself up! You must be cold in that summer dress!"

Touko turns away from the girl to pick out one of her thicker blouses for her. However, when she turns back, the girl is no longer there. Touko is puzzled by the girl's behavior. _Ara, running off in such thin layers, when I could have borrowed her my old sweaters… _

Touko frowns a little at the girl's behavior, but lets it go, since she hasn't her around before. However, she can't help but want to reach out to her. _She reminds her of Takashi-kun when he first arrived… _

"Tadaima (I'm home), Touko-san!"

"Ah, okaeri (welcome home), Shigeru-san!"

~ ( O w O ) ~

Natsume quickly dries his hair before sitting in front of the paper doll on the floor. It had been stuck in his hair, and he hadn't noticed it until Touko-san had pointed it out. _Aren't these things only visible to people who can see ayakashi?_

"Ne, sensei, how did Touko-san see this paper doll if she can neither sense nor see ayakashi?"

"Hmm, which side of your family is Reiko from?"

"Huh? My mum's side, but what does it have to do with Touko-san?"

"Ufu~ Well, your gift seems to also run in your father's side of the family. Meaning, Fujiwara Touko, who's a distant relative of your father's must have a slight gift for seeing ayakashi…"

"Eh? That's impossible, Nyanko-sensei! She's never said anything about the ayakashi happenings in this house! If she could sense ayakashi, wouldn't she have already caught the middle-classed spririts, Hinoe and the rest of them who've visited my room?"

"Mu~ Listen well, Natsume! I said she _might _have a _slight _gift for seeing ayakashi! Get your facts right!"

Nyanko proceeds to smack the heir of the Book of Friends with his pudgy paw. Then, an all-out cat fight between guardian and charge ensues. _No pun intended though. _


	3. The Transfer Student

Secrets of The Family

Chapter 2 : The Transfer Student

"Natsume-kun!"

The blonde looks behind him as Taki and Tanuma chase after him. Well, Taki is chasing him while Tanuma is walking leisurely behind her. Tanuma waves at Natsume as a form of a greeting.

"Ah, Taki, Tanuma..."

"Ne, where did you go off to yesterday? You didn't turn up for school! Was it the ayakashi again?"

"Yeah, Natsume. You and Ponta disappeared."

"Oh, well, it's something like that. I fell through the bushes and rolled down the hill..."

"Eh?"

Tanuma snickers at Taki's bewildered response at the thought of their friend falling through bushes and rolling down a hill. _It's not uncommon for their friend to fall over and through things for no reason._ Natsume smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as they continue on their walk to school.

A breeze blows by, catching the trio by surprise. A shiver runs down Natsume's spine as he quickly looks back. Stray strands of peach-colored hair and the hem of a skirt disappear into the forest, disappearing from Natsume's view.

"What's wrong, Natsume?"

"Did you see anything over there?"

Natsume points to the spot where he saw the hem of a skirt. However, Taki and Tanuma are confused.

"Um, sorry, Natsume. We didn't see anything. It must be an ayakashi asking for its name back, neh?"

"I guess so..."

_However, Natsume can't ignore the foreboding feeling in him as they continue on their way to school._

~ ( O w O ) ~

"My name is Tomo Chizuru. I hope we can be friends..."

"U-um, Tomo-san, please sit beside Touru-san. Touru-san, please raise your hand."

Taki raises her hand as asked, smiling kindly at the new transfer student. Her hair is a shade of pale blonde, complimenting her fair skin and hazel eyes. Although she seems to be a normal girl, Natsume can't help but feel that something is off about her.

With Taki sitting behind him, a row to his left, the transfer student has to walk by him. Her eerily blank hazel eyes stare holes into him, sending him chills down his spine. Her eyes are clouded and her movements are slightly off.

These signs are somewhat familiar to the blonde teen, but he cannot think of anything. As she passes the boy, there is a faint scent of sakura and freshly cut grass. His eyebrows furrow, the crease his forehead deepening as he thinks back of anything familiar.

However, he is thrown out of his thoughts, literally, as his chair suddenly gives way under him. He is sent crashing onto the floor, unable to react quick enough from the shock of having his chair pulled from under him. There are twin gasps from Taki and Tanuma as they watch their friend fall, but Natsume is quick and manages to save himself from dramatically face-planting onto the floor.

"Tomo-san! What has gotten into you?"

The girl says nothing, walking quietly towards her seat. Natsume and the rest of the class stare at her in shock, not expecting such behavior from such a gentle-looking girl. Her hazel eyes stare holes into her desk while everyone stares holes into her, trying to decipher her reasons for pulling Natsume's chair from under him.

_Does she know him? Did he do anything bad to her?_ Many questions run through the classroom's occupants' minds. However, none of them gets the answers they want as Natsume groans, picking himself up. He rubs the palms of his hands gently, wincing as the slight contact sends stinging pain running up his arms.

"Tanuma-san, please accompany Natsume-san to the school clinic. Please get the nurse to check on his hands."

"Hai, sensei."

Natsume frowns when he is escorted out of the class by Tanuma. _His hands aren't that hurt to the extent to have to go to the clinic._ He looks back towards Tomo Chizuru, feeling uneasy as her blank stare meets his eyes once more.

_He'll need to watch out for her._

~ ( O w O ) ~

**Fuha~ Thanks for reading! Please, review, review!**

** ! !**


	4. Not Here

**Hehe, in a Natsume updating mood :) I actually like this story, since it's something that doesn't have romance in it, nor is it boyxboy :P I apologize for the short chapters! Anyway, enjoy, my beloved readers~! :D**

~ ( O w O ) ~

Secrets of The Family

Chapter 3 : Not Here

_Huff... Huff..._

Leaves of low branches and bushes rustle as he runs through, trampling wildflowers and weeds on his way. His breathing is labored and the muscle of his legs are aching from the exertion. _Honestly, he should be used to all this running already!_

He pushes a particularly low branch that is abundant with leaves, unaware of the root that juts out from the ground. His foot makes contact with the root and he stumbles, nearly dramatically face-planting like he nearly did in class.

_"Natsume... Natsume Reiko... Return my name or I'll eat you..!"_

_Yes, once again, he has been mistaken for his late grandmother by another ayakashi._ It has become a daily occurrence for one Natsume Takashi with the appearance of ayakashi, demanding for their names once more.

Natsume slips _the book_ from his school bag as he makes a sharp turn behind a tree. _Imagine the ayakashi._ He waits for the surge of power and the flipping of pages as he imagines the ayakashi, but nothing happens. _What?_

_"Reiko..."_

Natsume is frantic, quickly getting up on his feet and running as quick as he can. The chill of the ayakashi sends shivers down his spine as its dreadful claws reach for him.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have your name!"

"What? How dare you lose my name! You imbecile! You take my name for one human day, and lose it on the next!"

"What? Wait!"

Natsume skids to a stop, turning around to face the ayakashi that is still chasing after him.

_"Return my name, imbecile!"_

"I said. WAIT!"

**BONK!**

~ ( O w O ) ~

_"Ah, I see... Now that I look at you better, you're not Reiko, but you do look a lot like her..."_

"Yeah, I get that a lot."

_"But, I just saw her yesterday. She challenged me to a game, telling me that I could eat her if she won. Have you seen her, grandson of Reiko?"_

"Oh, no, I haven't seen her. The last I heard of her was that she passed away at a young age. That girl you met must have been trying to impersonate my grandmother..."

_"No, no, I'm sure that she is Reiko. She had a strong spiritual aura and you look a lot like her!"_

"Oh, I see. I'll let you know if I see her again, ayakashi-san."

_"Thank you, grandson of Reiko..."_

The violet-haired ayakashi stands up, her gown trailing down towards the ground as her cloth mask flaps in the evening breeze. The face of fox is drawn on the small cloth, and the small bells on her ribbon jingle softly. A strong gust of wind blows by, forcing Natsume to shield his face. Once the wind is no more, the ayakashi is no longer there.

A rustle of the bushes to his right catches his attention, and his sharp eyes catch sight of strands of blond hair disappearing into the green. He quickly moves to catch the person, be it ayakashi or not. However, there's no one there when he breaks through the green.

Now, Natsume's troubles have doubled. _He'll have to deal with the suspicious transfer student, and investigate this person who's impersonating his grandmother!_

**Sorry, it's rather short! :( Hope you liked it! Review, review! :D**


	5. Shiki

**Fufufu~ Sorry for not updating in a while! This story doesn't seem to be getting a lot of response... There is almost nothing! Nada! =w= Anyway, I'll upload this tiny chapter~~ :)**

~ ( O w O ) ~

Secrets of the Family

Chapter 4 : Shiki

Natsume pauses in mid-step as a chilly breeze blows by. It is a sunny Saturday morning and he is walking home from an errand from Touko. It is nearing summer and the chilly breeze he had felt is uncommon. _It felt unnatural._

Natsume purses his lips grimly. This isn't the first time during his errand did the unnatural breeze blown by. On his way to the supermarket that stands five blocks down, he had nearly fallen over from the sudden gust of wind. After he had walked a couple blocks more, another gust had blown, this time in his face. He would have had ended up with a concussion if it weren't for Nyanko's chubby self.

Now, the wind isn't as strong as it was before. Natsume can't help but feel as if the wind earlier had been warning him not to go any further. Or keep him from going any further from a threat... _Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't._

His feet come to a halt as a petite girl comes into view, a few blocks ahead. Her eyes are shadowed by her bangs as she stands in the middle of the sidewalk, blocking Natsume of his journey home.

"Tomo-san?"

As soon as he utters her name, a strong gust of wind blows from behind her, sending Natsume a couple of steps back. The grocery bag in his hands fall onto the sidewalk as his hands lose their grip, the vegetables and fruit rolling out of the bags. Growling lightly, Nyanko grumbles at Natsume's lack of grip and rushes to pick them up.

Meanwhile, the wind dies down, her blond hair settling on her shoulders once more. Her eyes are revealed, glazed over and dull as an eerie grin etches onto her pale face.

_"Hand over... the Book of Friends... Natsume..!"_

Natsume freezes, his body tensing up as she rasps for the book. _She shouldn't know of the book's existence!_ He grits his teeth, concluding that an ayakashi had taken control of the girl.

"No, Tomo-san! You're being possessed!"

_"I said, give it to me!"_

Natsume's eyes are forced shut as sharp winds blow once more and he uses his arms to shield his face. His eyes widen fractionally as he takes in the sight of two shiki ayakashi floating alongside the girl. _Is she an exorcist?_ He immediately turns and runs.

_"Get him!"_

She bellows her order and the ayakashi chase after the teen, their cloth masks fluttering wildly from their speed. His legs pump hard as his muscles are forced into their routine of running.

He skips over puddles and runs around lampposts in efforts to lose them, but they are relentless and merely pass through the obstacles despite the toll it takes to go through all of them. Not long after running around lampposts and ducking under small gaps, the ayakashi are finally gone.

He pants, leaning against a wall of a building in an alley. Sweat trickles down his skin and he looks up. _It's getting late_, Natsume thinks to himself. _Touko-san and Shigeru-san are going to worry if I don't get back soon..._

"Ne, there you are, Natsume! Baka, it's almost time for dinner! Dinner, the most important meal of the day!"

"Hai, hai, Nyanko-sensei... Did you get all of the grocery that fell?"

"Hmph, what do you take me for? I'm not your maid, baka! Here, take the bags, they're too heavy!"

Natsume chuckles lightly as he picks up the' bags in front of the pudgy lucky cat. Although the powerful ayakashi in the form of a cat complains all the time, Natsume knows that he doesn't really put much of a fight when it comes to him.

"Gomen, sensei."

"In return, you will give me half of your dinner!"

"Eh? No way, Nyanko-sensei! Eat your own!"

"Natsuummeee!"

"GYAH!"

The cat glomps the tired teen, nearly pushing him down from its ridiculous weight. Natsume sighs playfully at the cat, letting it sit on his shoulder as he walks home.

~ ( O w O ) ~


End file.
